Find Mate
by KeepersOfTheNaughtySparkle
Summary: He was tall, slightly thin, with messy bronze hair hung in careless disarray, framing a face any normal nerd would kill for. He made the most average pair of dark framed glasses the sexiest thing Bella had ever seen. Who says gamers aren't sexy? EXB.
1. Introduction

**Fall 2009 Support Stacie Auction Winner's Choice One Shot**

**For mcc101180 – enjoy the geektasticness that follows….**

**Stephenie Meyer gifted us with the original, we re-gift it in a sexier package to help make the life of another easier…**

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

**Find Mate**

**Find Mate (Divination)**

_As with the _Discern Location_ spell, Find Mate, is amongst the most powerful means of locating creatures. The spell reveals the name of the creature or its location. To find a creature with the spell, you must have come in contact with the creature or have some item that once belonged to it._

_Find Mate circumvents normal means of protection from scrying or location_**—**_nothing short of a _mind blank_ spell or the divine intervention of a deity can keep the caster from learning the exact location of a single individual. _

Adapted from **Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook v.3.5**


	2. Fascination

**Fascination (Enchantment/Charm)**

_The affecting person will be unable to do anything at all except follow the mage wherever he goes, unable to take her eyes off him. If attacked, the affected will try to beat off any opponents, including her own comrades, in a berserk fury (+1 to hit, -1 to AC) in order to continue moving towards the mage._

From _**THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE FOR FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAMES**_

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

I quickly logged on to my computer to see if there were any updates on the Neverwinter forums. _I really need that patch for the 'Dead Gods' module._ I skimmed the recent responses finding no link for the patch I was looking for and decided to see if anyone was in the chat room.

**Neverwinter Nights 2: General Discussion: Chat Room**

Welcome

You have entered the **Chat Lobby**

_Damn– there aren't many people here. Ugh. Eric's on again. He's so fraking annoying. I hope he doesn't stay on too long, I don't know how much whining I can take today._

_Teflon_Billy? Frak me! I've hit the jackpot. The guy's a goddamned legendary gamer. If I can get rid of the douchebag maybe he can hook me up with a link for that patch…_

**AyricOfYork: nwn2's character design looks like crap. Most non-human faces look gay or butt fugly. I quit playin after the first cupple hours cuz I got tired of lookin at my female elf's transsexual face and watching her run like an orc with a broken leg **

_Here we go—maybe if I give him a link for some manips he'll quit crying like the little girl he is…_

**Teflon_Billy: If you want to hold your character to human standards of beauty, play a human, not an elf or an orc.**

**I favor elves so I play them. Instead of whining about how other races look, play the ones you like and save yourself the trouble.**

_Right On! The fraker can actually spell and type in complete sentences—that's rare._

**AyricOfYork: But I like playing elves. I just think they should make them more realistic. A female elf should be delicate and graceful and ethereal in beauty. They have completely diff. characteristics than an orc or a barbarous looking human.**

_Here goes nothin'… Please God, don't let me make a fool of myself…_

**Alexis_Marie: Mind if I jump in? **

**Teflon_Billy: Not at all, Alexis_Marie.**

**Alexis_Marie: Blame Wizards of the Coast for that frakery and insisting the heads look like they do. There are other options available in the Neverwinter Vault. You should check it out if you're not satisfied.**

**Teflon_Billy: Good point. You're right about the NwVault, they have a lot of good alternatives.**

**AyricOfYork: link pls : )**

**Alexis_Marie: nwvault . ign . com **

**Teflon_Billy: To be more specific… ****Click Here****. It's a combo pack—only available as a hak-file—but worth the DL.**

**AyricOfYork: I'll go check that out. bbl**

User AyricOfYork has logged out.

_Score!_

**Teflon_Billy: So… "Alexis Marie", huh? I see you're also a fan of Knights of the Dinner Table. ; )**

**Alexis_Marie: I am. It makes me laugh. Reminds me of how dorky I am. **

**Teflon_Billy: Yep. I know what you mean. If I can't laugh at myself…**

_Good… small talk and then ease into the favor…_

**Alexis_Marie: It's pretty quiet today. None of the regulars are around. I don't think I've ever seen you logged into chat this time of day. Do you come here often?**

_Oh my God! I am a complete asstard. I just gave him the online equivalent of the cheesiest pick-up line in history. Frak—I hope he doesn't think I'm trying to pick him up!_

**Alexis_Marie: That totally didn't type out the way I meant it… **

_I am such an idiot._ I banged my head against my desk.

**Teflon_Billy: lol, no problem. And no, I'm not usually here this time of day. I'm on vacation actually and thought I'd check things out while I impatiently wait for everyone else to pick up their copy of Dragon Age. **

**Alexis_Marie: oh : )**

_Is that all you can say? If he didn't think you were dumber than a kobold before, then he certainly…wait…read that shit again. _

**Alexis_Marie: Did you just say you're waiting for everyone else to get their copy of the new DA release? You have an advanced copy? I. Am. In. Awe!**

**Teflon_Billy: Um…yeah. Caught that, huh? Strictly speaking, I'm not supposed to talk about that until it's released to the general public…slip of the fingers if you kwim?**

_Lucky Bastard, even I have to wait for the general release…at least I pre-ordered my copy and don't have to wait in line._

**Alexis_Marie: No prob. Can I ask how you got so lucky?**

**Teflon_Billy: I work for EA as a programmer. Sometimes I luck out before the general public. ;)**

_Holy Fire Balls! EA! He's got direct access to all of the latest shit—Frak! He helps develop the latest shit. No wonder he's legendary, he's got the inside scoop._

**Alexis_Marie: Did you get to work on the game?**

**Teflon_Billy: No, but one of my friends did and he was able to help me out…**

_Jasper works for EA's Seattle office, why can't he get me the hook-up…_

**Alexis_Marie: Very cool. I work for BradyGames and occasionally get some cool stuff passed along, but I've never gotten that lucky…**

**Teflon_Billy: You work for BradyGames? What do you do?**

**Alexis_Marie: Yeah. It's not that exciting actually, but it allows me to work from home. I edit the strategy guides for all the cheaters that like to hack n' slash their way through a game instead of making it through on their own merit.**

**Teflon_Billy: lol. That's pretty cool. I'm sure that can be challenging at times.**

**Alexis_Marie: It definitely is. You would not believe how grammatically incorrect some of these gamers can be. It's very frustrating. Especially when I know the clues they've given in the walkthrough are completely bogus. Sometimes I wonder if they've played the games…plus it sucks if it's a game I wanted to play—I like to work through it on my own.**

**Teflon_Billy: So what are you playing now?**

_Yes! This is my in!_

**Alexis_Marie: I just started the Dead Gods module. I like it so far, but I'm having a hard time locating the patch to fix the issues I've been having with creature spawning.**

_Please, please, please tell me you have that link…_

**Teflon_Billy: I can get that link for you if you really want it, but I have to say that it's probably not worth it—after the third chapter the plot falls apart. If you're interested, I can rec a few of my fave mods as alternatives.**

_Damn…I was so looking forward to that too! Thanks for ruining it…_

**Alexis-Marie: Oh… I guess now is as good a time as any to quit—I'd hate it if I got any more invested in the story to only be disappointed by the crappy outcome. What ya got for me?**

_Better make it good…_

**Teflon_Billy: Try Almraiven, Some Distant Shore, Narcopolis, or Revenant.**

**You'd probably love Soul Shaker, too.**

_Almraiven—good, Some Distant Shore—on the list, Narcopolis—on the list..Is he fraking crazy? Revenant?_

**Alexis_Marie: I've heard a lot of good things about Some Distant Shore. It's been on my list. I've already tried Revenant though and found the hack n' slash to be tedious.**

"Bella?" I heard my roommate call from the living room. I quickly looked at the time on my computer screen. _Just a few more minutes, Alice…_

**Teflon_Billy: I know what you mean. I've played many very high-rated mods that turned out to only be about fighting off endless waves of tediously easy monsters while collecting masses of loot. **

**However, I personally don't really mind some of the hackfests and rat-killing/goblin cave quest clichés. I find it nostalgic. It reminds me of my first gaming experiences and sometimes I find a little mindless gaming is good for the soul.**

**Care to expand on your experience with Revenant?**

_Alright…this could either make or break me…_

**Alexis_Marie: Watch out—you asked for it! lol… btw I kwym about the nostalgia—it just doesn't ring true for me in this instance…**

**For starters, I went through the mod piling up all the loot on my henchmen and sold it for ridiculous amounts of gold, but not once could I find a single frigging short sword or rapier. Playing a dex-based character, I found my heroic efforts rewarded with two rusty sporks as excuses for finesse weapons.**

**Let's not forget the contrived inter-character romance with Busty Sue NPC for male characters and an equally roided-out, dimwitted motherfraker for females, neither of which were particularly desirable. I don't game for the romance. I can get better porn from fanfic. I game for the action and the story.**

**By the thoroughly dissatisfying end, my Lawful-Good character said 'frak this' and turned traitor, killing both the pathetic villain and Miss Busty Sue ftw… : )**

"Bella?" she called again. _Ugh. Why now?_

**Teflon_Billy: Wow—rusty sporks huh? You're cracking me up—seriously! I guess you have a point about the romantic portion of the storyline. I'm not usually into that either. It's never necessary to the plotline, more an afterthought for the sex starved masses that get a little too serious into their role playing…**

**Alexis_Marie: The valiant Sir Ayric's of York that prefer to polish their sword to the image of a PC's "graceful and ethereal" beauty?**

**Teflon_Billy: ROFLMAO – Exactly! **

"Bella? Are you ready to go yet?" Alice yelled.

"Give me another ten minutes Al, I just need to finish this up."

"We don't have ten minutes. Stop fantasizing over your latest ficporn update before you start double clicking your own mouse and we never make it out of here."

_Wench._ I looked at the lower right hand corner of my monitor again._ Really do we need to leave this early? I know she wants to shop, but it's not like I have to wait in line…pre-order, hello! And I'm not reading ficporn…this time._

**Alexis_Marie: Hey—I hate to bail, but I've got to go. DA is released in an hour and my roommate and I are headed down to Northgate so I can pick-up my pre-order and she can shop. Hopefully I'll get to install and play for a few hours while I wait for her to be done.**

"Bell-la!"

"God Alice, give me a second. I'm trying to have a fraking conversation here!"

**Teflon_Billy: Northgate Mall? Down by the I-5 in Seattle?**

**Alexis_Marie: Yeah. Why?**

**Teflon_Billy: I live in Seattle too. **

_He lives in Seattle? Oh my God. Jasper probably knows him since they both work for EA!_

**Alexis_Marie: Really?**

"God, Bella you'd better not be doing what I think you're doing…" My door slammed open. I looked over at Alice, who stood glaring at me with her hands on her hips.

"Frak, Alice. I told you I'd be there. I'm trying to finish up a conversation I'm having with this guy."

"You're having a conversation with a guy?"

"Yeah. Me. I have been known to socialize with those of the opposite sex from time to time. Don't look so surprised." I looked back at the computer to see Billy nudge me.

"Is he cute?"

"I don't know. We just started chatting. Let me finish, will you?"

"Fine. Five more minutes." She held up her right hand and wiggled all five digits to emphasize her point.

**Teflon_Billy: Alexis_Marie? Are you still here?**

**Alexis_Marie: Yeah. Sorry. My roommate was nagging.**

**Teflon_Billy: This might sound kind of strange since we don't really know each other, but since you're just going to be sitting there playing at the mall…would you want to meet me at the Starbucks across the street and play? I could bring my laptop and my copy of the game…**

**Alexis_Marie: I'm game. : ) How do I find you?**

**Teflon_Billy: I'll meet you outside of the game store so we can walk over there together. I'll be the tall, brownish-haired guy…white shirt…glasses...with the laptop.**

**How will I know you?**

**Alexis_Marie: Short, brown-haired girl, glasses, purple sweater—also with a laptop. C-ya, I'd better go before my roommate comes back in and drags me out by my hair. : )**

**Teflon_Billy: C-ya there…**

User Teflon_Billy has logged out.

"Alice!" I gathered my laptop from next to my desk. "Do you mind meeting me at Starbucks when you're done shopping?"

"No that's fine. What's up?" She reached for the door, locking up after I joined her in the hall.

"I'm going to go meet that guy I was just talking to. We're going to play _Dragon Age_ while we wait for you." I nervously adjusted the strap of my computer bag.

"You have a date?" She mused as we made our way to her rusted blue Cutlass Cruiser station wagon, which she had affectionately nicknamed the "Ass Cruiser."

"No. It's not a date. It's not." I opened the door and settled myself onto the worn seat. "We're just meeting to play the game."

I stared out the window as she pulled out of our parking lot. _This was definitely _not_ a date. I talked to him for what? An hour? People just don't date that way, do they?_

"So what's his name?" she asked as she accelerated onto the I-5.

_Frak. I don't know. How could I be so stupid as to not ask his name?_ _How am I supposed to greet him? Teflon Billy? Bill? Billy? Hey you?_ _Real bright, Bella._

"Ah…um…Teflon Billy?" I hesitantly replied sounding more like a question than a statement. _And here it comes..._

"You're meeting this guy, and you don't know his name? What if he's some creepy stalker weirdo type?"

If we weren't on a busy freeway I think she would have brought the car to a complete stop so I could receive her lecture properly. "Um, well I just told you where I was going to be? Anyways, I think he works with Jasper. He said he's a programmer for EA."

"Really?" She bit her lip thoughtfully. "Well I'm not leaving until I see this non-date of yours, just in case."

"Fine." Better to acquiesce now than have her make a scene.

Alice swiftly pulled into the nearest parking space and we made our way down to the game store. Mall Security had roped off an area for a large line of people waiting to get their copy of Dragon Age._ Losers._ I smiled to myself and palmed my pre-order ticket.

"Oh my God, Bella." She shot me a horrified look. "You cannot seriously expect me to stand in that line all day."

"Of course not, follow me." I grinned back at her. I led Alice to the head of the line, where a much smaller group of people waited with their tickets for the privilege of picking up their copy of the game while the masses had to wait their turn outside of the store.

"So where are you supposed to meet this guy? How are we supposed to find him?" She looked around curiously.

"He's said he'd wait for me outside the store." I handed my ticket to a familiar face behind the counter and retrieved my copy of one of the most anticipated games since Baldur's Gate. "He said he was tall, wearing a white shirt—"

"Bronze-haired Geek-God with glasses and a computer bag?" She cut in, and turned to face me, her right eyebrow quirked up in question.

"Um, I think he said brownish hair?"

"It's bronze, trust me. You'll be fine. I'll see you in a few." She smiled, gave my hand a little squeeze and quickly walked off.

_Okay? What the frak was that all about?_ I stepped outside and scanned the crowd looking for 'Billy.' My eyes came to rest on a man standing next to one of the potted palms.

He was exactly as he'd described.

He was tall, slightly thin, and wearing a white buttoned down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His messy bronze hair hung in careless disarray, framing a face a normal nerd would kill for, and made the most average pair of dark framed glasses the sexiest pair of eyewear I had ever seen.

He looked over and smiled at me, his eyebrows raised in question. _Good God Damn._ I think I'd feel the effects of that smile all the way into next week.

With confidence I didn't know I had, I walked up to him. I knew exactly what to say.

"_Why do you guys consider the game industry as such a dream job? There's no money, no women and it carries the stigma of geekness._"

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

**AN: For those unfamiliar with KotDT (Knights of the Dinner Table), it's a comic book that follows the exploits of a group of gamers—very geektastic! This comic is the source of Bella and Edward's handles. Teflon Billy is the name of one of the gamers' (Brian's) role-playing characters. Alexis Marie is the name of Brian's imaginary girlfriend. **

**We will be posting the links to some animated shorts of KotDT that can be found on youtube at the end of each chapter, the first of which is below. Enjoy! **

**Knights of the Dinner Table Episode 1:** **http:/www . youtube . com/watch?v=YTFODJ6nKpY **


	3. Flytar's Pheromonal Force

_**Flytar's Pheromonal Force**__ (Illusion/Phantasm)_

_This spell functions as the Arousal cantrip—creating a state of extreme horniness in the affected creature, including both biological and physiological effects, although said horniness is not directed towards anyone or anything in particular—with two minor adjustments. First, creatures which cannot smell are automatically unaffected. Secondly, it raises the morale of all affected creatures by 1d4. The material component is a rose petal, crushed during casting._

From _**THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE FOR FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAMES**_

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

"_Someday, I swear to gawd, I'm gonna be a real game designer__!_" I quoted back. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Alexis Marie."

_In the flesh…who would have thought Brian's imaginary girlfriend could be so…_perfect.

"It's good to meet you too, Teflon Billy…" her face lit with a broad smile, "…and since we haven't been formally introduced, I'm Bella."

She held out her hand and I quickly reached out and shook it, the sensation of her soft skin against my own mesmerized me almost to the point of speechlessness. "Edward."

I reluctantly released her hand and cleared my throat nervously. "Shall we go?"

She nodded and we turned toward the exit closest to Starbucks.

_I've never been this lucky in all my life._

I'm what most people would consider a geek, nerd, poindexter, dork, techie, or even a dweeb. I had been called all of the above before, and all were true to a certain extent. By profession I'm a techie—an ubergeek that gets to play on computers all day, either designing or playing MMROPG games. But just because I'm a geek doesn't mean I don't think like every other man out there. I have a dick. Upon occasion I like to use it, preferably with an attractive partner rather than Rosie Palm, and from the moment I saw Bella walk out of the store I felt like someone had hit me with Flytar's Pheromonal Force, only every lustful thought was directed straight at her; everything about her set my body and my mind on fire.

So here I was on my way to spend my morning with possibly the most beautiful woman I'd ever had the privilege to meet. She was probably considered 'plain' by some men's standards. Bella wasn't glamorous by any means, and although she didn't flaunt her body, she didn't necessarily hide it either. If anything I found her slightly demure clothing more attractive than some of the more fashionable things most women wore, it made me feel an overwhelming _need _to know what was hidden beneath her sweater.

As we walked in silence I tried to sneak glances at her without her notice. Her rich brown hair was pulled up into a haphazard bun at the base of her neck, with a soft sweep of bangs masking her spectacle covered eyes. I wanted to reach out and brush them away so she couldn't hide them from me. I wanted to know what color they were; green? Hazel? I had no idea, but I had to see them.

I had never, ever, met up with a stranger I'd met online. I don't know what it was about her, specifically today, that made me throw caution to the wind. All I knew was when she'd said she had to go, I was disappointed. She was so interesting, and open, and smart…I'd almost felt as if we were having a real conversation and not just exchanging words over cyberspace. When she'd mentioned Northgate Mall, I took it as a sign from above to get my ass in gear. What were the chances she lived in the same city? It was only logical that there had to be a reason…

The Fates were fickle, but if they were going to dump an opportunity in my lap, I couldn't ignore it. They were not known for their generosity after all.

Although the silence wasn't awkward, I didn't want Bella to feel uncomfortable. I've dated, and I do have friends, so I wasn't completely socially retarded. I searched my memory of our earlier chat trying to grasp at some small detail I could use to reestablish our earlier conversation in the forum.

"So…fanfic huh? What genres?" I held the door open for her as we walked outside.

"Yeah, um…fantasy mainly. I've read the more traditional Dragonlance fics, don't even get me started on the travesty of the _Dragon's of Autumn Twilight_ movie, and would prefer some Raymond Feist if he wasn't such a cockblocker to fanfic writers."

She looked a little apprehensive at first, like I might think she was a total dork. _Never._

"Feist is great, I'd love to read someone's take on the Moredhel. I've read some of the Dragonlance, but I prefer to stick to Urban Arcana, like _The Dresden Files_."

She looked over at me, a small smile gracing her lips. "You read _The Dresden Files_? I love Jim Butcher, he's my favorite Urban Arcana author."

"He's a great writer. Have you tried his fantasy series, _Codex Alera_?"

"I haven't read them yet. Are they any good?"

"They're not as great as Dresden, but they're a good read."

The crosswalk sign changed in our favor as we approached, and Bella started off a step ahead of me. I looked to our right and saw a car coming in a little fast, so I reached for her hand and drew her back to my side. She looked up at me questioningly as we started back across the street, and I quickly nodded at the red sports car lurching to a stop at the light. "Sorry, it looked like he was going to run the light."

She nodded back at me in understanding as we continued on. I looked down when I realized I still held her hand in my own. It looked so small and fragile, but it was also so warm and full of life. She made no move to remove it from my grasp, but I didn't want to seem too forward by keeping her hand in mine. I didn't really want to relinquish it either. The sensations the innocent contact evoked in my body were both familiar and new to me, a combination of pure lust and something altogether different.

I loosened my grip slightly, willing myself to let go, but she quickly reestablished a more firm clasp of our hands until we reached the other side of the street. _Okay…so she didn't want to let go, but she didn't squeeze my hand or offer any other acknowledgment—What does that mean?_

"So…um…you said you work for EA, right? I was wondering if you knew my friend, well Alice's boyfriend really, but he's kind of my friend too…" She looked up at me as I opened the door to the coffee shop.

The wind blew, slightly ruffling her bangs, exposing a delicate pair of dark colored cat shaped frames. _Brown. Her eyes are brown…_

"Oh, um sorry." I felt like a complete tool for getting caught up in a fucking cliché. I needed to rectify my display of idiocy but didn't know how, other than try to cover my momentary lapse by answering her question. "Ah, maybe. What's his name?"

Her cheeks tinted in a slight blush, and she looked down again. _Shit, what did I do to embarrass her now?_

She laughed and looked back up, her blush a shade deeper. "I suppose it would help if I gave you his name, huh?"

I smiled back again as understanding finally dawned in my dazzled haze, not trusting myself to discontinue my own nitwit behavior.

"Jasper Whitlock? He's in animation." She turned to me as we took our place in line.

_The Fates again? It's too much of a coincidence…_

"Actually, I do know him. He's one of my best friends." I stepped up to the counter and ordered my usual, an Iced Venti Café Americano with two Splendas and room for milk. I asked Bella what she wanted and ordered her a Venti Vanilla Rooibos Tea Latte, then turned my attention back to her. "I feel like a complete dolt for not putting two and two together; I should have known who you were referring to when you mentioned Alice. Jasper introduced us just after they started dating. She's quite the spit-fire."

She laughed, a low-pitched, gentle chuckle that seemed to reverberate through me. "Yes, she really is." She paused for a moment while retrieving her tea from the barista then quietly added, "Thank you, for buying my tea."

"No problem, it's the least I could do for meeting me here. I don't normally make it a habit to get together with internet acquaintances. I'm really pleased that you came."

_Was that too much?_ I looked up at her covertly while I set my computer up, trying to gauge her reaction. Besides a brief pause in her movements as she set up her own laptop, she gave no signal or reaction. _I hope I didn't make her uncomfortable._

"Neither do I, meet people like this I mean. I'm glad I did though." She smiled sincerely. "So, how long have you known Jasper?"

Relief washed over me and I released the breath I hadn't known I was holding. "A few years, we both started at EA around the same time. You know, I'm kind of surprised we haven't met yet."

"Alice." We both laughed at the same time. I looked across the table and smiled again, exhilarated by the ease of our exchange and admiring the way her enjoyment enhanced her subtle beauty.

"Oh my God!" She blushed and covered her face with her hands momentarily before looking back up, laughter bubbling forth. "I think she actually may have tried to set us up."

"Really?" I looked at her questioningly.

"A couple of months ago she tried to coerce me into a blind date with one of Jasper's friends from work, which I'm now assuming could quite possibly have been you, but after the last _date_ she set me up with I wasn't taking any chances and flat out refused," she explained. "Last fall she set me up with this guy she knew from the Ren Faire circuit. He was some kind of medieval weapons enthusiast that does demonstrations at the faires. He also happened to be into Dagorhir, which normally wouldn't bother me, except he took his role playing a little _too_ seriously."

She started to giggle, and paused every so often throughout her explanation trying to regain control over her laughter. "His name was Mike, but he insisted that I call him _Sir_ Michael. Throughout our date he kept referring to me as _My Lady_ and _Fair Damsel_, but when I told him to find someone else to…ah, polish his _short_ sword…he called me a wench…and told me I wasn't worthy of taking a ride on his…_faithful steed_."

"You're kidding right?" I couldn't help but join her laughter.

"No, I swear—" she waved her hands in the air, "—the whole night was completely absurd."

As our laughter finally started to subside, I looked at her again over the tops of our computers. The sight of her sent tingles down my spine and desire rushing through my veins. "I don't blame you for refusing her," I teased her with an added wink.

She blushed and looked back down at her computer again, "So, do you want to watch the opening cinematics with me?"

"Sure." I pushed back from our table and made my way around to stand behind her. I took a deep breath and decided to take a chance that, between the frequent blushes that stained her beautiful cheeks and holding my hand as we crossed the street, she was attracted to me at least in some part as much as I was to her.

I placed my hands on the back of her chair and leaned in over her shoulder to watch the opening sequence for the game. She glanced up at me and smiled, before turning her attention back to the screen. _So far so good… _

I relaxed and leaned in a little further, close enough that I could indulge my urge to immerse myself in her intoxicating scent, but far enough away that I could still watch the reactions flit across her face as she watched the scenes unfold.

She smelled clean, natural, with a hint of sweetness wafting from her hair from whatever shampoo she preferred. It was…invigorating, enlivening to my senses.

I'd never met anyone like her. I'd never been so at ease with a woman in my entire life. When I'd invited her to play today, I'd had no expectation that I would be attracted to her so strongly, or at all. In fact I don't think I had ever had so strong of a reaction to anyone in my life.

I watched the range of emotions cross her face as the scenes unfolded and wondered what she was thinking. She shifted slightly, leaning in closer to me, and I closed my eyes reveling in the warmth emanating from her body. When I opened them again her body had relaxed, bringing her fractionally closer to me, and her own eyes had closed.

"It's amazing isn't it?" I whispered as close to her ear as I dared.

"Mmmhmm." She nodded almost imperceptibly.

_Holy Hell…_I swallowed hard and slowly moved a safer distance away from her, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the range of emotions coursing through my body. I didn't want to startle her, but knew I had to put some distance between the two of us before I gave into the desire to kiss her that I'd been fighting since she'd walked up to me and so confidently quoted _Knights of the Dinner Table_.

I took a deep breath and made my way back to my chair and gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile, before breaking the silence. "It took Jasper and the other animators six months to finish that opening sequence."

"Wow. That was…unbelievable," she said nervously. "I can't wait to see what else they've done with the game."

I nodded and we continued on with the game, exchanging comments as we created our characters and made our way through the first few chapters. I continued to sneak looks at her across the tops of our computer screens over the next couple of hours, and debated the best way to get her to see me again.

Since Bella's back was to the door, I was the first to see Alice enter and waved her over. Noticing my motion, Bella looked up and I saw her eyes narrow momentarily at Alice's obvious enthusiasm at seeing us together, before she smiled at her friend.

"Hi, Edward," she greeted me almost a little too enthusiastically.

"Hello, Alice. It's nice to see you again."

"Bella." She nodded to her in greeting. "It looks like you two have been having a good time…"

"Would you like to join us for coffee?" I asked, knowing her usual MO.

"I'd like to…" she frowned, "…but Bella and I really need to get home, I've got some finishing touches I need to put on a few of my designs for DragonCon and I need Bella's help."

"DragonCon isn't until Labor Day, Alice. That's still three months away, why the rush?" I watched as Bella started to pack up her computer.

"I had a flash of inspiration for something I'd like to enter in the Costume Contest while I was shopping and I need to get a head start on it, but I have to finish my retail stock for our booth before I can move on to the new project."

_Since when does Alice have a business partner, Jasper never mentioned anything…_My interest was piqued. "I didn't know you had a business partner Alice."

"Oh, I don't. Bella always comes to help me with my booth at the convention." She turned back toward her. "Ready?"

"Almost." Bella gathered the last of her gear.

"I'll meet you at the car then." Alice winked at me and walked toward the door.

_Very subtle, Alice, but I think I can handle it. _I got up from my chair and moved around to the other side of the table where Bella stood.

"I'm really glad you agreed to hang out with me while we played today, Bella, thanks." I lifted her bag and held it out so she could slip the strap over her shoulder.

"I'm glad I came too. I usually play alone, but it was nice to have someone to talk to about the game for a change." She looked down. When she once again met my gaze she smiled and nodded in the direction of the door. "I'd better go. She gets kind of antsy if she has to wait."

"I know." _Nice way of handling it._

Bella smiled again, this time giving me a nod, and turned to go.

_Handle it!_

"Bella?"

She paused and turned around. "Edward?"

"Would you like to meet me here again?"

"Yeah, I would." She swept her bangs to the side in a futile attempt to keep them out of her eyes, and then pushed her glasses up slightly.

_Yes!_

"Good. Great." I smiled, slipping my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. "Umm…how should I get a hold of you?"

She pushed at her glasses again and started to turn, laughing quietly. "You already know. See you later, _Teflon Billy_."

I watched her until the closing door obscured her from my view, then returned to our table and packed my gear. I did know how to get a hold of her. I couldn't hold back the grin I knew labeled me as a giddy fool to the rest of the world…_my very own Alexis Marie._ Only this one was flesh and blood. She was real, and intelligent, and she was beautiful.

It may have been awhile since my dick had been properly uploaded, but there was no doubt in my mind I could overheat Bella's hard drive if she'd let me. God I hoped she'd let me…

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

**AN: For those of you who aren't as geeky as pkitten21, Dagorhir is a full-contact, combat oriented battle game where the focus is on melee fighting and ranged combat without the use of magic. Fighters typically use foam versions of medieval/fantasy weapons (swords, flails, spears, etc.). Participants wear period costumes and must stay in-character during events. This is **_**serious**_** role-playing folks!**

**Here are two links– the first shows excellent footage of a Dagorhir Battle and the second shows some participants at a park (the second is just…way too funny)**

**http:/www . youtube . com/watch?v=72WDqWgtpWE&feature=fvst**

**http:/www . youtube . com/watch?v=P3Zw-f4yx0&feature=fvst**

**This week's KotDT video is Episode 8: "The Gazebo" http:/www . youtube . com/watch?v=FoTTLusJ8mU**


	4. Arousal

**Arousal (Enchantment – Reversible)**

_This spell creates a state of extreme horniness in the affected creature, including both biological and physiological effects, although said horniness is not directed towards anyone or anything in particular. The reverse of this spell, Disinterest, completely snuffs out any lust the recipient might be feeling. The material component for this spell is a sprig of mistletoe._

From _**THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE FOR FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAMES**_

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

_Cloud-fraking-Nine…_

I knew I probably looked like a fool with an extra wide smile plastered on my face, but nothing could take away my current high—not even Alice and her arsenal of questions waiting in the car.

There weren't many guys I felt comfortable enough to be myself around. Edward was on his way to the top of the list. Not many guys would go out of their way to put someone else at ease, but the way he spoke to me and the way he'd held my hand as we crossed the street let my inner confidence break through.

He was so different from anyone else I'd ever spent time with, and although the initial intention of our meeting today was purely of a friendly nature I was convinced it wouldn't take long to develop into something more.

I definitely wanted it to be something more.

I approached the station wagon and braced myself for the assault I was about to face. Alice was ready before I'd even fully opened the door.

"So… Edward, huh? Great Guy. I think you two will be great together. Did I sense a little bit of sexual tension back there or what?" She flashed me her trademark 'I told you so grin.' "In fact, if I remember correctly, I thought you two would hit it off TWO MONTHS AGO!"

I held up my hands in surrender. "Okay, I will concede…this time, but do you really blame me for refusing your fix-ups after the _Sir Michael_ disaster? And why in the Nine Hells didn't you tell me you knew him this morning? I can't believe you just walked off without letting me in on that nice little tidbit of information!"

"Hey Mike was hot, and I didn't know that he had a problem leaving his persona at the fair." She pulled the car onto the expressway expertly merging into the speeding traffic. "As for this morning…when I saw who was waiting for you, there was no way I could pass it off as a mere coincidence. You two were obviously meant to meet, so I thought it was best to let things follow their natural course."

"You were right." I picked at the cuffs on my sweater.

"I know." She nodded arrogantly and winked at me before turning her attention back to the freeway. "So…"

"Yeah." I smiled inwardly and leaned my head against the headrest, if she wanted details I was going to make her work for them—but only a little. "So…"

"Ah, details my girl, and don't leave anything out! What did he say? Did he ask to see you again? Did you say yes? I saw the way you were sneaking looks at each other. I need to know. Bella, you're killing me here!"

_That was quick… straight to begging, or as close to begging as she would get._ M_ore like demanding…not that there was anything really juicy to tell._ Seeing how she'd cut straight to the chase, I guessed I could throw her a bone.

"I don't know, Alice. I can't explain it…" I continued to pick at my sweater. My interaction with Edward was uncharted territory, and I struggled to find the words that would express the feelings he had evoked in me.

"He's not like anyone I've ever met. I don't even know where to begin. I mean, I saw him standing there this morning and the second he smiled at me I felt this surge of confidence and I don't know…

"I mean, I just went up to him…and you know…I just went for it. I've never done that with anyone. I've never had the balls to be the aggressor." I shook my head and stared out the window.

"When we were on the way over to Starbucks he held my hand when we crossed the street, 'cause there was this car…" I paused mid-thought remembering the feel of my hand in his. "Anyway, after that it's like I can still feel him even though he isn't touching me, it's like my skin is vibrating…"

Alice giggled and stole a glance at me before breaking out in song. "You like him, you love him, you want his body."

"Stop it Alice!" I couldn't help myself from laughing with her, because the truth was…I did. I'd never been so thoroughly and instantaneously attracted to someone before today. If I hadn't had my feet grounded in reality I'd think someone had bitch slapped my unsuspecting self with an arousal spell or something similar.

When we finally pulled into our complex I just wanted to head to my room and get back online.

_I wonder if he's back on the forum…is he as eager as I am to talk again? Gah! I can't stop thinking about him. _The way he looked, the way he smelled, the way his voice caused shivers to ripple across my skin when he'd been leaning over my shoulder…everything about him called to me on the most basic level, lured me in… Just thinking about him raised goose bumps on my skin. I wasn't cold…no, I was….thrilled.

As much as I wanted to haunt the chat room waiting to see if he would show up, I knew it was a bad idea on so many levels. The last thing I wanted was to give him the impression that I was stalking him like a troll sniffing out a dwarf. It would be better to wait and see if he contacted me first, and he would. I had never been so sure of anything in my life.

It was a moot point anyway; I didn't have the time to net-stalk at the moment. Alice needed my help and I had indentured myself to her in servitude. So instead of tracking Edward down on the forum, I deposited my computer bag in my room and prepared myself to stand in as Alice's pin cushion for the next several hours while she made adjustments to her designs. We had a lot of work to do to make sure her booth would be well stocked by DragonCon.

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

Alice kept me up until two a.m. re-pinning fabric and basting seams back together, so when I finally got a chance to boot up my laptop I was too tired to care. All through the night my subconscious replayed the moments I'd spent with Edward the previous morning. I could swear I felt my hand prickle with sensation as he held it, or the heat of his breath on the sensitive skin of my neck and the short stubble on his unshaven chin rubbing against me as he leaned over my shoulder to watch the opening cinematics of the game—which in reality I'd only imagined him doing at the time.

Of course when I woke up Alice's cat, Sir Licks-a-lot, was sleeping on my pillow with his head buried in my neck and my left hand was limp with pins and needles because I'd fallen asleep with it tucked under my body at a weird angle. _Great, now I'm getting turned on when the damn cat licks my neck while I'm sleeping…gross._

Disgusted with the thought of Sir's saliva on my skin, I rushed to the shower eager to rid myself of the sudden onslaught of visions where Edward tried to seductively lick my body in all the right places with sixty grit sandpaper instead of the pink tongue I'd glimpsed licking his lips at the coffee house the previous day.

After my shower and a quick breakfast I dove into work, starting with my e-mail. I scrolled through my messages praying there would be a PM notification from the forums.

_Yes!_ I had two; one from AyricOfYork thanking me for the link to the vault, _fraking_ d_ouche,_ and one from Teflon_Billy.

**Today…**

** Message sent on June 10, 2009, 1:35 a.m. **

**You're right I did know how to get a hold of you. ;) I'd thought about asking Jasper for your number, but I didn't want to cross any lines… I figure if you want me to have your number you'll give it to me, so I opted for a PM on the forum for the time being. **

**I just wanted to tell you I had a really good time this morning. Thanks for meeting me.**

**I feel kind of stupid, but I was hanging out on the forums hoping I'd see you tonight…I guess it was actually yesterday. LOL**

**Anyway, I'd like to meet up again—if you'd like. I'm on vacation for the rest of the week. If you have time, let me know…**

**-E-**

_Clever man…_ I immediately sent a reply.

**Re: Today…**

** Message sent on June 10, 2009, 8:26 a.m. **

**I had a really good time as well. I think I might be able to squeeze a little game time in this week. Is Friday good for you? I have a conference call in the morning, but am available after lunch.**

**Let me know what time, same place? **

**I might be persuaded to give you my number…you'll just have to wait and see ;)**

**B**

It was all I could do to keep myself from compulsively refreshing my inbox while I worked all morning. I was dying to get a response. I refreshed one more time just before breaking for lunch, and was rewarded for my obsession with another answer.

**Re: Today…**

** Message sent on June 10, 2009, 12:28 p.m. **

**Friday is great. 2:00—same place. See you then. :)**

**-E-**

I quickly typed an affirmative response and went to the kitchen to grab a quick bite to eat. I was positively giddy and knew that once again my smile would broadcast my excitement to the world, which at the moment was just Alice. I wasn't sure if that was good, or bad…

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

I glanced at the clock on my phone—two-seventeen. _ Frak!_ I had hoped to get to Starbucks a little early, but after my conference call I'd had to finish some last minute edits to some additional material before the guide I'd been working on went to print. Now I was running late.

I slid my 1978 yellow VW Bug into the closest parking spot I could find and booked it inside hoping he didn't think I'd flaked out on him. I saw him instantly, well the top of his head anyway, I'd recognize his mop of disheveled hair anywhere since it had been haunting my dreams every night since we'd met. He was sitting at the same table we'd occupied earlier in the week, and had already set up his computer.

I sighed in relief, and quickly weaved through the tables to _our_ corner. "Hey," I huffed, and set my stuff down next to the table. "Sorry I'm late. I had to finish some last minute stuff for work."

I looked at him, and could see the relief in his eyes as he smiled up at me. _God damn he's hot._

"It's okay. I'm just glad you were able to make it after all." He smiled and held a cup out to me. "I hope you don't mind, I ordered you something. Venti Vanilla Rooibos Tea Latte, right?"

_He remembered…_

"Yes, thank you." As I took the cup, the tips of our fingers brushed against each other sending the same curious sense of vibration along my skin I remembered from when he'd held my hand that first time we'd met. It made my smile widen and I felt as if my chest was going to burst with an unfamiliar emotion.

We exchanged normal pleasantries while I set up my stuff. Once again I marveled at the level of comfort that seemed to come naturally when I was with him.

We passed the afternoon in much the same way as we'd spent the first morning we'd gotten together, and before I knew it evening had arrived. I'd promised Alice I'd spend a couple of hours sewing with her, so I knew I had to get going.

"Edward?"

"Yeah?" He looked at me over the top of his computer screen.

"It's getting late. I promised Alice I'd help her sew tonight."

Disappointment flashed across his eyes briefly before he answered. "Oh. Um…" He looked at his watch. "It's seven o'clock? Shit! Shoot, sorry…I have to go too. It's Dork Night. I'm supposed to meet up with the guys over at Jasper's to play D&D, and it's my turn to GM."

I laughed when he winced trying to cover his swearing. "You don't have to watch your language around me Edward. I've been known to mutter more than my share of curses. What are you leading the guys into tonight?"

He blushed, and chuckled along with me while we gathered our gear. "They're going to lead an assault on an encampment of Clone Troopers on Kashyyyk. Since I'm such and uber Star Wars dork I'm not allowed to play. They always make me GM, apparently the variety of useless facts I store up here—" he rolled his eyes and tapped the side of his head, "—gives me too much of an edge over any of them when they GM."

When we had finished packing our stuff, we just stood there, both of us reluctant to go and not sure what to say.

"Is it okay if I walk you to your car?"

I smiled and nodded, reaching for my bag.

"Do you mind if I grab another cup of coffee for the road? It's going to be a long night with the guys."

"No go ahead." I released the strap of my bag and let it rest back on the seat of my chair.

He walked over to the counter; it was a short line so I knew he wouldn't be long. As I glanced around I saw that he'd left his phone on the table next to his bag.

_Frak yeah!_

I glanced back over to where he stood in line to make sure he wasn't looking, and took his phone from the table. I quickly dialed my number so that I would have his stored in my phone and he wouldn't know he had my number…yet. I replaced his phone and waited for him to return.

"Ready?" I asked as he walked back over to me.

"Let's go." He smiled, and held out his hand motioning for me to lead the way.

"Thank you, for the afternoon. I'm glad you PM'd me." I slowed my pace so that we were walking side by side once we'd exited the shop.

"So am I…I mean, I'm glad you agreed to come again." He had an easy smile as we talked. "I have to go back to work next week, and I know you and Alice are going to be pretty busy getting ready for the convention, but if you want to get together again, I'm available most evenings. Just PM me."

"This is me." I nodded at my beetle. "I'll let you know."

We just kind of stood there again, both reluctant to go and both unsure of how to say goodbye. _I know how I _want_ to say goodbye…_

I opened the passenger door and shoved my stuff onto the seat in an effort to cover the blush I knew had overtaken my face. "Thanks again, Edward."

I crossed over to the driver's side door and got in, willing myself away from the unbelievable man on the sidewalk. He stayed there until I drove away. I knew I was going to use his number before the end of the evening. I just wanted to wait until he was settled at Jasper's. I don't know why he made me feel so confident, but I liked it…and I wanted to take advantage of it.

When I got home I grabbed a quick dinner and got ready to help Alice with her latest stack of patterns. I sat down in the sewing room and sent off a quick text.

_**So, now that u have my number…what r u going 2 do w/ it?**_

_**B**_

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

**AN: The week's KotDT video is Episode 5: The Knights run afoul of B.A.'s "Critical Mass" charts. **

**http:/www . youtube . com/watch?v=HmzWd0eik44**


	5. Davenet's Seduction

**This chapter is short and was originally written as an outtake, so I decided to update twice this week rather than have you guys feel ripped off. As always reviewers will get a teaser for Saturday's update. If you can please take a look at the videos in the bottom AN. They will really help the non-gamer, and give gamers a good laugh :)  
**

**Davenet's Seduction (Enchantment/Charm)**

_The spellcaster may affect one individual of the opposite sexual orientation to become enamored with the spellcaster and willingly subject to all of his/her commands. That the victim has been seduced (magically or otherwise) will be readily apparent to those who make a successful wisdom check. In order to cast the spell, the spellcaster must extract a personal item of the victim's, and then cast the spell onto the item in solitude. When the item is given back to the victim and recognized, the spell is complete. The spell is effective until dispelled._

From_** THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE **_

_** FOR FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAMES**_

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

**Dork Night**

** Ò Ó****  
****/|-/| ****  
****^|\ /\ ****  
**** / | | |**

I parked my car in front of Jasper's townhouse and grabbed my messenger bag containing the Star Wars core rulebook, the Hero's Guide, and various other resource books in case someone decided to challenge my authority during the game. You'd think they'd all know better by now to not even try, but if Riley was playing tonight, I'd need it. I also grabbed my cooler that contained my collection of dice.

I knew it was kind of weird to keep my dice in a cooler, but it protected my dice and it had a nice handle for lugging them around. Besides, I never knew what dice I would need. My choice always depended on my mood, and since I was especially happy after my day with Bella, it kind of felt like a jumbo dice night. I only used them on special occasions or when I was really happy, and tonight was definitely one of those nights.

I didn't bother to knock, I just walked inside. Jasper had been my best friend for the last few years since I'd started at EA, and Friday night Dork Night had become a tradition for the greater part of that time. It was unspoken, Friday nights he had an open door policy—walk in and get ready to get your game on.

I sat my bag and cooler of dice down at the head of the table since I was the GM for the evening, and went into the kitchen to put my Andrew Jackson into the snack kitty on the counter. Those were the rules; everyone had to pitch in a twenty toward pizza, chips, and caffeine. Any good gamer knows you have to have plenty of snacks to keep the players' energy up throughout the evening and pizza, chips and Mountain Dew were our staples. We never added beer into the mix, serious gamers knew better than to drink and game—that shit has disastrous consequences.

I grabbed a Dew and headed back into the dining room where Ben, Riley and Jasper were setting up our HEX mat and figures. I kept a cache of figures that I'd painted here for all of our gaming needs. There were too many to cart around so I kept a couple of tackle boxes filled with various characters we could use for our adventures, whether we were playing Star Wars—like we were this evening, Urban Arcana, or a more traditional game of D&D.

"Dude! Be careful with those. You can't just throw them around, you'll scratch the paint, and if you do I'm not making you another one!" I said to Riley as I joined them. Painting the miniature figurines was a hobby of mine. It was a stress reliever and I often used it to decompress after a long day at work. A couple of the guys had asked me to paint specific figures for them, and it really irked me when they mishandled them after all the time I had put into making them perfect.

"Loosen up, Edward. It's just a miniature," he said tossing his bounty hunter from hand to hand.

"Just a miniature?" I asked incredulously. "It's a physical representation of your character, Asshat. Show some fraking respect!"

"These are really good, Edward," Ben said carefully lining up the figures we would need for tonight's campaign. "I still don't understand why you don't enter them in some of the local competitions."

"It's not about winning a competition, which I of course would win," I said, sitting down and arranging the things I would need for the evening. "It's something I do to relax, for myself, and I just happen to be really good at it. I don't want to turn my hobby into a job. That would suck all the fun out of it."

"I guess I can understand that."

I pulled out my bag of marbled blue, jumbo dice and rolled them a couple of times for practice.

"So it went well?" Jasper asked with a smirk, looking at the dice.

"You could say that." I laughed. "Things are hopefully…progressing. Is Emmett coming tonight?"

"Yeah. He should be here in a few minutes," he said just as my phone beeped alerting me to a new text.

I quickly grabbed my phone to check, since pretty much everyone that would be texting me was in this room and everyone else knew not to even try on a Friday night.

"Put it away Edward. You know the rules—no cell phones during game time," Riley attempted to reprimand me.

"Just give me a sec. Emmett's not even here yet so the rule doesn't apply." I waved him off as I scanned the message. "This is important. It's _Bella_."

"Eddie's got a girl?" he teased me. I just ignored him and texted her back a quick answer to her question and stored her number in my phone.

"Yeah. Didn't you just have a date playing _Dragon Age_ with her earlier?" Ben asked.

"Yes, but it wasn't a date...yet." I smiled unable to contain my happiness that she had given me her phone number. Things were definitely progressing.

"And she games? Shit, I think I just jizzed in my pants. That is so hot!" I just shook my head at Riley's comment and wondered, yet again, why we still gamed with him.

"Dude, do you think she'd game with us sometime?" he asked.

It only took me a moment to think. "No. Absolutely not. I'm not subjecting her to you horny bastards. No way."

She'd be the Sara to our Knights of the Dinner Table…no, I was content with her being my own personal Alexis Marie.

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

**AN: In honor of Dork Night, this week's KotDT video is Episode 2: Sarah is introduced to the group.**

**http:/www . youtube . com/watch?v=ow1zRZR5Dao**

**As it's been mentioned in a few reviews, I just wanted to give a quick explanation of what a GM is. GM is short for Game Master. The Game Master—or DM (Dungeon Master) if playing Dungeons & Dragons—is the person in charge of leading the players through a role playing scenario. They are the end all, be all, and final judgment. Don't ever piss off your GM…**

**For those unfamiliar, a HEX mat is a padded mat with a grid gamers use to map out role playing situations for their characters. It's most often drawn on with dry erase markers to depict boundaries and the hexagonal grid pattern serves to show the distances between characters and NPC's (Non-Playing Characters) or enemies when calculating the affected area of a spell or the ability of a character to reach an enemy.**

**Here is a link to a pic for a HEX mat and Edward's jumbo dice and examples of figures that Edward paints:**

**Hex mat: http:/i240 . photobucket . com/albums/ff210/pkitten21/Find%20Mate/88085391_**

**Jumbo Dice: http:/i240 . photobucket . com/albums/ff210/pkitten21/Find%**

**Figures: http:/i240 . photobucket . com/albums/ff210/pkitten21/Find%**

**If you're curious as to how a real gaming session plays out watch this video. It's a clip from a hilarious low-budget movie called **_**The Gamers 2: Dorkness Rising**_**: **

**http:/www . youtube . com/watch?v=EwtH5oQqHPg&feature=related **


	6. Sexify  Enhance Comeliness

**Sexify/Enhance Comeliness (Alteration)**

_The recipient of this spell undergoes a transformation in appearance to become more sexually attractive to members of the opposite gender no matter what the recipient's initial comeliness. Looks, smell, smoothness, and even taste of the outer skin are all affected._

From _**THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE **_

_**FOR FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAMES**_

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

"It's your turn."

"No, it's not," I answered him, never taking my eyes from the screen. "I got lunch, remember?"

He was quiet for a moment before conceding. "You're right, I'll get it. Do you want your usual?"

"Yeah, this is the first time they've had it on the menu since Dave died. I need to take advantage while it lasts."

"Why can't Wendy's deliver?" He grabbed his keys from the desk. "If not back, avenge death!"

Fifteen minutes later, I had a steaming Bacon Mushroom Melt in my hands and a pile of the most heavenly fries known to man on the desk next to me. I took a bite and the melted cheese squeezed out of the back dripping onto my fingers. I licked it off, closing my eyes as I enjoyed the flavor of the melted processed cheese. "Mmmm…"

Edward choked back a laugh and my eyes flew open. "What?"

He looked at me with an amused smirk. "It's that good, huh?"

I looked over at him and smiled slightly. "Delicious," I whispered reverently and then licked the excess cheese oozing from the bun, hoping I looked somewhat seductive rather than ridiculous.

His eyes widened slightly and darkened. "Yummmm," he murmured. He blinked a few times and then shifted in his seat uncomfortably as he turned back to his game.

I grinned knowing I had just rolled a natural twenty with my tongue.

The next time I looked up from my laptop I yawned and stretched, finally feeling exhaustion set in after spending so many hours in front of the computer screen. I took off my glasses and rubbed my eyes before quickly cleaning the lenses, then looked at the clock in the bottom corner of my screen, two twenty-three a.m., and grimaced.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"It's almost two-thirty. Do you mind if I crash here again?"

"Shit, I didn't realize it was so late." He ran his fingers through his hair leaving it in a further state of disarray. "Of course you can stay; I'd love to have you. I just need to save real quick."

_Mmmm….pretty…I'd_ love_ to have you too._ I blinked a couple of times and shook my head to try and ground myself back in reality. The combination of my fatigue, seeing his long fingers gliding through his hair and his inadvertent innuendo had left me momentarily dazed. The man was too pretty in a frakhot nerdilicious way for my own good.

Edward and I had been meeting for the last two and a half months. During that time we had progressed from Starbucks to meeting at his apartment. We met at least once a week, more if Alice allowed me out of the sewing room. The more time I spent with him the harder I fell. I still felt more comfortable around him than I had around any other man I'd ever had in my life, in fact if it was possible I was able to relax even more over the past couple of months. I wasn't afraid to be me, and it felt good.

We conversed easily. Sometimes we talked as we gamed, other times hours could go by without uttering a single word. We were perfectly content just being near each other. A couple of times we'd lost track of time as we played, and ever the gentleman he'd offer his guest bedroom so I wouldn't have to drive across town.

Aside from the sense of peace he gave me, my physical attraction to him grew as well. Everything about him drew me in. The tone of his voice was deep and sensual, and his eyes sparkled with varying shades of green depending on his mood. I could figure out what he was feeling just by looking at the color of his eyes. His skin was smooth and warm, and with each touch my own skin rippled with light vibrations from the point of contact just like the first day we'd met. The initial attraction I'd felt at that first meeting steadily grew into burning desire. I'd never felt so intensely for anyone else. I craved a deeper level of intimacy and hoped he did as well, but I think we were both unsure as to how to move forward.

I finished closing out of the game and looked up in time to see him offer his hand to help me out of my chair. As always the moment our hands came into contact the familiar vibrations skittered across my skin leaving feelings of warmth and anticipation in their wake. I stood cautiously knowing my limbs would be slightly stiff from sitting for so long, but I still managed to trip over the wheeled base of the desk chair, and it spun forward crashing me face first right into Edward's chest.

It felt like Bybig bitch slapped me with a double whammy of Flytar's Pheromonal Force and an Arousal spell. He smelled so fraking good. I pressed my face into his chest to inhale enough of his wicked scent to prolong my high after I resumed a more dignified position, all while trying to make it look like I was just regaining my footing. Fortunately for me The Fates decided to help me out a bit and he let go of my hand and wrapped his arms around me, effectively trapping my body against his.

"Are you all right?" His voice sounded slightly gruff and was close enough to my ear that I could feel the warmth of his breath graze across my neck.

"Mmhmm." I was barely able to form a coherent thought and made the mistake of trying to nod my head in response, which just made my current situation worse when my cheek brushed against the soft cotton of his t-shirt. "Yeah…I'm good."

"Bella?"

The hushed tone of his voice sent tingles down my spine and I finally looked up at him while keeping my cheek firmly anchored to the warmth radiating from his chest. He smiled and gently brushed his lips across mine. I sighed as he pulled away.

"Come on, I'll get you something to wear to bed." He took my hand in his again and led me to the guest room.

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

As always when I woke at Edward's apartment, he had a small pot of my favorite red vanilla tea waiting for me along with his own pot of coffee. After changing and remaking the bed I headed out to his kitchen to grab a cup before joining him in his office.

"Morning." I looked over at him as I walked in and had to do a double take, which caused me to stumble over my own feet and almost spill my tea. _For the love of Sune it's a fraking sin for a man to look that delicious, _my inner geek screamed out in instant nerdgasm.

Edward was reclining in his desk chair wearing my favorite Dead Alewives t-shirt and a pair of dark washed jeans. His hair was still damp from his morning shower, and although it had been combed away from his face he'd already ran his fingers through it enough to settle it into a sensual state of disarray. One hand casually held his coffee mug in his lap, while the other rested on the desk with his long fingers dexterously scrolling through his e-mail. The topper, and what truly did me in, was his unnaturally beautiful bare feet propped up on the end of the desk, his legs crossed at the ankle. _Big feet equal big...sword…_

"Morning, Bella."

"Morning," I moronically repeated. I tried to casually take my seat at the other desk hoping that he hadn't seen me eye-fraking his nomilicious bits and pieces, but I apparently wasn't quick enough because he glanced my way with a knowing smile. "So, DragonCon is in two weeks..."

"Yeah." He lifted his mug to take a sip. "Are you and Alice ready?"

"Not quite," I replied, finally relaxed enough to coherently converse. "Alice usually keeps me quite busy with last minute fixes up until we leave."

He lowered his feet from the desk and swiveled his chair to face me, and leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees, cradling his coffee cup in his hands. "So we probably won't get much of a chance to see each other before then."

"Probably not, which reminds me, Alice wanted me to ask a favor." I nervously took another sip from my cup before I continued. "She was wondering if we would be open to changing up our room situation."

He looked slightly confused and arched an eyebrow in question. _Good God damn that's hot!_

"What did she have in mind?"

His question drew me back from Edwardland and I blushed knowing I'd most likely been caught staring again. "Yeah, um…she was wondering if you would be comfortable switching rooms with her so that she and Jasper could have some _alone_ time…"

He looked at me for a minute as if he was trying to gauge my feelings on the issue. I pushed some stray hairs back behind my ear while I waited for him to answer. His eyes turned a shade darker and he bit his lip in contemplation.

"_Alone time_, huh," he chuckled. "I don't see why not. You stay here all the time. I don't think sharing a room will be a problem."

"I'll let Alice know." I finished my tea and glanced at my watch. "It's eight-thirty, I'd better go; I have a few things I need to finish up for work before I can help Alice today."

Ever the gentleman, he walked me out and leaned in the doorway. I turned around and waved and told him I'd call him later. I was only a couple of steps down the hall when he called my name.

"Bella?"

I turned around again and inclined my head in question at his serious look.

"You forgot to kiss me goodbye."

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

After the last night I'd spent at Edward's apartment I decided I needed to bust out the surge of confidence I'd gotten when we first met, and figure out a way to show him I was interested in furthering our relationship without coming on too strong. Our physical relationship had been progressing slowly. We hadn't gotten past the kissing stage yet, but I wanted more—I definitely wanted more. I just didn't know how to get there without throwing myself at him like a two-dollar tavern wench at a Ren Faire.

Since he'd agreed with Alice's request to switch rooms, I figured I needed to make the most of the opportunity The Fates had once again presented me. Unfortunately other than our travel arrangements, that was the only Rancor bone they were willing to throw my way.

We had booked our flights to arrive Thursday morning, and Jasper had already coordinated his and Edward's flights to coincide with ours so that he could help Alice and I with the set-up of our booth. After a hellish day of travel where our flights were delayed and we'd gotten separated due to over-bookings, we hurried through our booth set-up and a quick dinner, and then we headed to our rooms to turn in for the night. I'd decided to take a quick shower before going to bed so I wouldn't have to worry about it in the morning, but by the time I'd gotten out Edward had already fallen asleep. Strike one.

On Friday, once we had gotten settled, the guys took off to attend several workshops as their panel discussion didn't start until Saturday morning. At six o'clock Alice headed out to the costume contest and I stayed at the booth until closing time. By the time I had finished closing at ten-thirty the contest was over, and since Alice placed second in her category we decided to go out to dinner the next evening to celebrate.

The wild costume balls scheduled for the evening weren't really our scene so we decided to turn in early in anticipation of the next day's busy schedule. Edward and I both wanted to get a quick shower in before bed, but by the time he emerged from the bathroom I was already half asleep. The last thing I remember was Edward covering me up and whispering goodnight as he lightly kissed my forehead. I didn't have the energy to respond. Strike two.

After catching breakfast together and coordinating our schedules for the day, we parted with a slightly longer than normal kiss that left me breathless and determined to make sure we upped the ante. Since the guys were done by six-thirty with their panel obligations they had agreed to man Alice's booth for a while so the two of us could get ready for dinner.

While we had finished sewing the stock for Alice's booth, Alice had spared some time to make me an original design. She'd made me a light gray, silk chiffon peasant blouse and a custom black, brocade corseted underbust that I could wear with a pair of tight, black skinny trousers, and black peep-toed heels that tied at the ankle.

She curled my long hair and pinned it up loosely into interwoven sections in a modified Victorian style, and for the first time in years I was forgoing my glasses in favor of a pair of contacts. Then she vamped up my normal minimalist cosmetics with smoky eyes and a deep rose tinted gloss on my lips.

I looked in the mirror admiring the makeover Alice had given me while she finished her own make-up. I might not look or feel like _me_, but I looked damn good—hot enough to tempt Edward to level up to a more advanced plane of game play.

"Ready? Alice asked as she touched up her mascara.

"Yeah, I think I am."

I gave one last glance in the mirror before leaving Alice's room and felt that surge of confidence Edward seemed to bring out in me. _Roll for initiative monkey boy, the ball is in your court…_

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

**AN:** **Additional Spell References and Definitions:**

**Natural Twenty: When a "20" is rolled on a twenty sided gaming die it is considered an automatic perfect critical hit—impossible to miss and inflicts maximum damage to the target.**

**Bybig's Bitch Slap (Evocation)**

_A version of the Bybig's Hand spells (although probably not from Bybig). A quasi-real, and five foot, hand comes into existence and smacks the nearest woman that the caster commands it to. If the woman knows her place is in the kitchen, the hand only does 1 point of damage as a reminder. However if the woman has complained, whined or not been to the kitchen in three days, the hand instantly grows to the size of a Titan hand (25 feet) and knocks the woman into the nearest kitchen (be it 10 feet or 10000 miles) and forces her to cook a three course meal. If she continuously refuses, the hand will inflict damage on her until she submits (GM's decision on damage per hit). The hand has as many hit points as the caster in full health and has an Armor Class of 0. The material component of the spell is a leather glove._

From _**THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE **_

_**FOR FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAMES**_

**Sune:** **Lady Firehair – Goddess of Love, a greater deity in the Faerûnian pantheon**

**E's Dead Alewives Shirt: ****http:/www . photobucket . com/albums/ff210/pkitten21/Find%**

**One of the classic Dead Alewives Comedy skits on Dungeons and Dragons synced to clips from the D&D 1980's cartoon series and the source of Edward's T-shirt Slogan:**

**http:/www . youtube . com/watch?v=N-WuGJ28adw**

**This week's KotDT video is Episode 4: Dave & Bob get caught up in an LARPG (Live Action Role Playing Game).**

**http:/www . youtube . com/watch?v=K5g337Imvlc&feature=related**


	7. Lovesickness

**Lovesickness (Enchantment/Charm)**

_This spell makes its recipient become so much in love with the mage that as soon as she/he loses sight of the mage, the victim begins to waste away. The victim stops eating food, turns to drinking, and becomes a general wreck, fighting at a -5. As a result, she/he will die of malnutrition in a number of days equal to her/his Constitution score plus 10, and there is a 10% chance of her/him committing suicide. What's more, if the mage tells her/him to go away, she/he is compelled to do so. This unpleasant condition may wear off as a Charm Person, but otherwise must be treated by cure disease._

From _**THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO UNLAWFUL CARNAL KNOWLEDGE **_

_**FOR FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAMES**_

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

"Bella?" I watched as she turned back around. "You forgot to kiss me goodbye."

I watched a shy smile transform her lips as she took the few steps back to stand in front of me. I lounged patiently against the doorframe, waiting for her to make a move. She briefly looked at her feet and then casually leaned in, bringing her soft mouth to mine, only breaking eye contact at the last second when her eyes fluttered closed.

There was nothing like the feel of her delicate lips; it was indescribable. The lightest touch sent waves of desire through me; each movement of our lips caused another ripple of warmth to radiate throughout my body. I felt one of her hands creep up to the base of my neck pressing my mouth more firmly against her own.

Taking that as encouragement I pulled away from the doorway and rested my hands on her waist, parting my mouth just enough so I could run the tip of my tongue along her lips. She opened in response and I slid my tongue in to stroke hers in a slow and sensuous dance.

_God, she tastes amazing._ In the morning she tasted like vanilla tea and a hint of mint from her toothpaste, but no matter when I kissed her she always tasted like vanilla. It was absolutely intoxicating, and I couldn't get enough. I was so enthralled by her flavor that I couldn't help but wonder if she tasted like vanilla everywhere…I wanted to find out…soon.

Our kiss wound down and she placed one more, gentle peck against my lips before disengaging herself from our embrace. Her hands slid down my arms until she had taken my hands in hers.

"I'll text you when Alice gives me a break so we can chat on the forum." She gave my hands a squeeze and walked away, only turning around once to wave before she reached the stairs.

I went back inside and refilled my coffee before sitting down to my computer thinking I could get a little done on a side project that Jasper and I had been working on for the past couple of months, but I just stared at the screen. At the moment all I could think about was Bella…her hair, her eyes, the expression on her face after we'd kissed—she looked the same every time…so absolutely lost in the moment.

Admittedly, our physical relationship was progressing slowly, but I knew I was to blame for that. As difficult as it had been, I'd been holding back. I would have kissed her the first day we'd met, but I knew that was definitely not the right time—after all, it wasn't really a date. We had just been two people meeting to game. If I had come on too strong, I would have scared her off…The last thing I had needed was for her to think I was some sex-starved internet perv.

There were however, moments that I'd been sure that she had felt the same attraction for me that I was feeling for her, so I had been somewhat disappointed that she hadn't given me her number—but I also knew it was understandable under the circumstances. My only option had been to send a private message to her on the forum, but it paid off when she had agreed to see me again.

When I thought she wasn't going to show for our second meeting I'd been somewhat surprised at the hurt I had felt. But then she'd arrived, and we'd fallen into the same easy conversation that we'd had the first time we'd met. I was so comfortable around her. I felt like I could fully expose myself for who I was and _knew_ she wouldn't be turned off by the magnitude of my dorkiness.

Then she'd let me walk her to her car, and we'd just stood there looking at each other for the longest time. It wasn't one of those uncomfortable silences where you don't know what to say; it was a charged silence where I think we both wanted something more to happen, yet knew it wasn't the right time. There was definitely something brewing between us, I just needed to be patient.

She still hadn't given me her number, but my disappointment hadn't lasted long. I had just sat down at the table with the guys when my phone beeped. I immediately texted her back saying that I was going to call her and invite her to dinner—no games, just her and me. The guys razzed me for breaking the no phone rule during game time, but nothing they could have said at that point was going to affect me. Not only did I now have her number, but she had purposely swiped my phone to get mine. Victory was sweet.

We went out to dinner, but I still held back. I still hadn't kissed her like I'd wanted to, but I did invite her over for dinner and a night of gaming at my apartment. That was the first time we hadn't met in a more public setting; it was truly just the two of us. I took it as a good sign that she was comfortable enough with me to spend time in my home.

That had been the first night she stayed over, _and_ the first time she'd let me kiss her.

We'd been playing for hours when I noticed her yawn. I'd looked at the clock and noticed for the first time how late it actually was. Unwilling to let her risk driving across town, I'd offered to let her stay in my guest room, making sure she knew I wasn't expecting anything more than she was willing to give. She accepted without hesitation, much to my surprise, and I had showed her to my extra room.

When I'd grabbed a clean t-shirt from out of the dryer and offered it to her, she had taken it from me shyly then turned to shut the door, and like last night, she'd stumbled, falling against me. My arms had instinctively wrapped around her body and pressed her closer. I'd looked down at her to see if she was okay, but when I saw the blush on her cheeks and the shy look in her eye I couldn't help but lean down—it was the moment I had been waiting for…

I hadn't even meant to kiss her. I had wanted to wait because I was afraid that she might think I had only invited her over with the expectation of sex. I had definitely wanted it, but it was important that she knew I wanted more from her than that.

Then our lips met and I forgot about being chivalrous. I was so affected by the feel of her soft lips against my own that I thought I might kill us both in an act of spontaneous combustion.

I'd kept us as still as possible, pressing my lips to hers gently. I had been afraid that the slightest movement would have caused me to lose my carefully built restraint, but as soon as I had thought I'd gained enough control to retreat, she'd hummed lightly against my lips.

I had instantly reacted, parting our lips and thrusting my tongue against hers in a single caress before I was able to regain control of myself to release her lips, and immediately took a step back. I had been damn thankful for even that small distance separating our bodies when I'd seen the blissed-out expression on her face.

She hadn't moved a muscle after I'd forced myself away. Her eyes had still been closed, mouth slightly parted and one hand raised, as if she'd been about to touch me. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen and I hadn't been able to look away.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts of the memory.

There was no doubt in my mind; I had completely fallen for her… The convention would be the perfect time to tell her how I felt, and Alice was handing me the perfect opportunity to have a little _alone time_...

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

Jasper had coordinated our flights and hotel rooms to coincide with Bella and Alice's itinerary as soon as we had found out we were going to be panelists at the convention. He'd wanted to be able to help Alice set up her booth, which had been fine with me at the time as I was more than willing to help as well. Now that Bella and I were together, I was grateful that it would mean extra time spent with Bella, especially since we'd traded rooms.

Alice had wanted some alone time with Jasper; I was hoping Bella might want the same with me. It was the perfect opportunity to tell Bella how I felt about her…

But, The Fates are indeed fickle, and they had apparently decided to screw with me before giving me what I so desperately wanted.

So, after a hellish day of travel where our flights had been delayed, and Jasper and I had gotten bumped to a later flight, we arrived just in time to help finish with the booth and grab a quick meal before heading to our respective rooms for the night.

I knew nothing was going to happen. We were both too tired from travel and getting the booth ready that we didn't even have a chance to really talk. Exhaustion was not exactly a precursor to the romantic setting I had been hoping for to declare my feelings. The last thing I remember before I woke the next morning was hearing the sound of the water running in the bathroom as Bella took a shower. I was too tired to even take advantage of the fantasy that had been handed to me on a silver platter.

Fates – one, Edward - zero.

After the girls were settled in their booth Friday morning, Jasper and I attended a few panel discussions. We even attended the Star Wars Trivia Contest, but Jasper refused to let me sign up. He said it wouldn't be fair to the other participants if I unleashed the full scope of my knowledge during competition. I knew he was right of course, but the nerd in me wanted to dominate the competition with my knowledge of the Star Wars Universe.

At six o'clock, Alice, Jasper, and I headed over to the costume contest while Bella manned the booth. I had wanted to stay with her, but she had insisted that I go with the others, much to my disappointment.

It was hard not to enjoy myself, the costumes were phenomenal. My favorite had to be the three guys dressed as zombie x-wing fighter pilots. They even had their intestines hanging out of the front of their flight suits, which was completely genius, but as much as I wanted to lend my support to Alice, I missed Bella. So when Bella showed up after closing the booth, I was ready to devote my complete attention to her.

Yet again though, I found myself in an almost identical situation as the night before. Only this time it was Bella who had fallen asleep during my shower. And, as if that wasn't enough, she'd made these sexy little humming noises when I'd leaned over to kiss her forehead. I headed back to the shower…

Fates – two, Edward – zero.

Saturday morning dawned with a feeling of determination. The Fates were doing their worst, so to speak, to frak up my chances to tell Bella how I felt. Clothos and Lachesis had already had their way with me, and I'd be damned if I was going to let Atropos snip the lifeline of what was left of the weekend. This was it, and barring a disaster of apocalyptic proportions, I was going to tell Bella I loved her. I used the day to my advantage, starting with a kiss after breakfast.

Since we weren't going to see the girls until six-thirty, due to our panel obligations, I wanted to make sure that Bella had something to think about all day long as she helped man Alice's booth—namely me. As we parted ways for the day I literally assaulted her lips with my mouth. I wanted to leave her breathless and wanting more so that by the time we were reunited at the end of the day I would be all she had, and could, think about.

The only problem was that it affected me just as much as it did her. Thank God for small favors that come in the form of tables, otherwise I would have been smacking the crowd in the face with eight inches of blunt fury.

My constant state of arousal aside, the panels and roundtables Jasper and I had participated in had been successful and well-received by the crowd. By the time six-thirty rolled around I was anxious to get dinner out of the way so that I could finally have Bella all to myself.

Jasper and I took over Alice's booth for a couple of hours so the girls could get ready. So far my plan had seemed to have worked, and Bella's body language and playful flirting as they left for Alice and Jasper's room promised what I hoped would be a rather enjoyable evening.

We closed things down in time to get quick showers back at Bella's and my room where we were meeting up before heading out to dinner. But sometime between showering and waiting for Bella and Alice to show, my nerves started to get the best of me.

"Sit down, Dude," Jasper said, watching a re-run of _The Dragon King_ on Sci-Fi. "They'll be here in a minute."

I flopped back on Bella's bed, big mistake… All I could think about was what I was hoping she'd let me do to her there later, so I got back up and paced some more.

"What's you're problem, Ed? It's not like this is your first date."

Before I had to answer him, Jasper's phone alerted an incoming text from Alice saying they were on their way down. I grabbed my key from off of the top of the TV and hustled out the door, leaving Jasper trailing leisurely behind me. By the time I made it the thirty or so feet to the elevator, the doors opened in front of me and there she was.

She looked flipping beautiful.

Her long hair had been curled and loosely pinned up with little wisps escaping in soft tendrils, accentuating the curve of her neck.

I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. I'd never seen anyone more beautiful, and yet…it wasn't her. It wasn't my Bella. She looked slightly uncomfortable, and nervous. _Where are her glasses?_

I suddenly felt guilty for scrutinizing her appearance when near perfection was staring me in the face. So what if she wasn't wearing her glasses, she was still more beautiful than ever, and her clothes were very nerd chic. All she needed was a pair of thigh boots and a quarter staff with that corsety thing she was wearing and it would be as if she had stepped out of one of my D&D fantasies.

She held my gaze as I stared at her then looked down insecurely at the floor. Like the moron that I am, I realized too late that I had stared too long without saying anything to her, because when she looked back up even the half-smile she gave me didn't reach her eyes.

"You look…amazing, Bella." I complimented her, too little too late.

"Thank you, Edward," she replied, smiling a little more genuinely. "You clean-up nice, too."

I raised my hand to run it through my hair nervously, but stopped myself short and just kind of waved my hand like an idiot before I brought it back down and shoved it into my pocket in an attempt to curtail my anxious gestures. "Thanks."

"So, are we ready then?" Jasper interrupted our uncomfortable exchange, taking Alice's hand in his.

"Yeah, sure." I nodded and followed everyone into the elevator.

Alice and Jasper did their best to smooth over that initial awkward moment, but no matter what any of us did, Bella seemed…off. I could tell she felt a little uncomfortable in her new outfit. It wasn't something she would ever normally wear—a little too form-fitting and more alluring than what she was used to wearing. Not that she didn't look good in her more demure attire, because she did...there was just something about the way argyle patches stretched across her breasts that could melt my mind and bring my _bastard_ _sword_ to attention.

I wished I had opened my stupid fraking mouth sooner and told her how beautiful she looked, but the moment had passed and anything I said now would sound trite and wouldn't have the same effect as if I had told her so immediately. I needed to find another way of letting her know how she made me feel before the newfound awkwardness ruined my plans for the evening.

Unfortunately my foot-in-mouth disease had taken control of my conversation skills, and nothing I said served to help me out the hole I had dug myself.

Dinner was…uncomfortable at best, and although we both tried for the sake of celebrating Alice's success at the costume contest, we silently agreed it would be best to cut the evening short and head back to our rooms. Which meant I had one last chance to get things right before The Fates took me out of commission…that is if they hadn't already won.

When we reached the room Bella immediately stepped into the restroom, which meant I had very few minutes to come up with a new game plan.

But before I could come up with anything, she came out and threw a scrap of black fabric down on her bed, having taken off the corset thing she'd been wearing over her gray shirt. She'd also removed her contacts and replaced them with her usual pair of glasses. She sighed and finally looked at me with a sad smile. I had to fix this, so I just said the first thing that came to mind.

"I love your glasses."

She snorted and turned away and crossed her arms hugging herself in a protective gesture.

"I do! I love the way they make your eyes sparkle when you try to hide behind them, especially when you're looking at me and think I can't see."

"My eyes don't sparkle, Edward. That's just the light reflecting off the glass." She huffed and turned back around to face me. "I look like a nerd."

"Maybe. But maybe I like the nerd in you." She huffed again and turned her face away.

"Bella." I put my hand on her cheek and turned her face back toward mine. "I've thought you were the most beautiful woman I've ever seen from the moment you walked out of that game store. You—"

"You think I'm pretty?"

"Beautiful." I caressed her cheek with my thumb. "I think you're beautiful."

"I—"

"You don't have to change who you are to get my attention, Bella. I love you just the way you are. I just…" I stepped closer to press my body up against hers and leaned in, effectively cutting her words off with a whisper in her ear. "I love _you._"

I brought my hands to her waist pulling her body as close to mine as possible. I flexed my hands bringing the tips of my fingers in contact with a sliver of skin in between her pants and shirt. I gently squeezed and massaged my thumbs in slow circular patterns on her silky skin.

"You love me?" she whispered, her lips brushing against my cheek.

"I do. Nerd glasses and all," I said, trying to reassure her and lighten the mood somewhat.

She burst out laughing at my comment and pulled away with a hint of mischief in her eyes.

"_My love is strong, Teflon Billy! You can't deny me what I need so badly. Yield to me and be complete!" _she quoted, laughing hysterically and pretending I was at her mercy.

"_I'm opening my poison ring and swallowing the contents. 'Grant me my escape Dr. Death!'" _I quoted back, grabbing her around the waist and launching us onto the bed.

We struggled against each other playfully for a few minutes, laughing uncontrollably, untilI rolled us over, landing on my back with Bella straddling my hips, her fingers intertwined with mine by my head. We gradually stopped laughing as our eyes connected, and I knew…

I couldn't take my eyes from hers as she leaned down and whispered against my lips. _"Haa! My love wins over the hands of fate!"_

I just _knew…_I really was at her mercy.

Fates – two, Edward…well let's just say The Fates can frak themselves 'cause Bella loves me and wants to play with my joystick.

**oxx:{}::::::: ^.=.^ :::::::{}:xxo**

**AN: The response to this story is so much more than we could have hoped for. We hope you have enjoyed Geekward & Geekella just as much as pkitten21 had fun writing them. Thanks for reading and leaving all the wonderful reviews!**

**Our last KotDT video is Episode 9: The Troll Bridge: http:/www . youtube . com/watch?v=lj0HRPLesJ0**

**Bella's Seduction Outfit: ****http:/ /i240 . photobucket . com/albums/ff210/pkitten21/Find%20Mate/DragonCon . jpg**

**Here's a link to the Find Mate Blinkie if you want to show your love of Dork: ****http:/ /i240 . photobucket . com/albums/ff210/pkitten21/Find%20Mate/FindMate . gif**

**A big thanks to mcc101180, without her generous donation and inspirational prompt this fic would not have been written. Love you Mel!**


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